the North American Indians. 433
clared. But time is now grown perverfe and childifti, and has brought with it a flood of corrupting ills. Inftead of obferving the old beloved rule of temperance, which their honeft forefathers ftrictly purfued, they too often befot themfelves with bafe luxury, and thereby enervate all their manly powers, fo as to reduce themfelves to the ftate of old women, and efteem martial virtue to confift in the unmanly bulk of their bodies, and the finenefs and colour of their glittering coats and jackets : whereas fuch forms and habits only enable the red people to fort the large buffalos, the fine-feathered parroquets, and wood-peckers their religious, civil, and martial titles are conferred on the lean, as well as the fat-bodied, with out minding whether their clothes are coarfe or fine, or what colour they are of. They fay, their titles of war invariably befpeak the <nan, as they always make them the true attendants of merit, never conferring the leaft degree of honour on the worthlefs. That corpulency, or a very genteel outward appearance, would be fo far from recommending any as war- leaders, that thofe qualities would render them fufpected, till they gave fufficient proof of their capacity of ferving their country that when any diftinguifhed themfelves by martial virtue, their fine clothes reflected new beauties on the eyes of the people, who regard a genteel appearance, only on account of the fhining virtues of the gallant men who wear them.
They often ridicule us, in our gay hours, that they have obferved our nominal warriors to value themfelves exceedingly on thofe unpleafant ftiapes and undue covering that like contemptible mining lizards, they fwelled their breafts almoft as big as their bellies, fpoke very fharp to the poor people who were labouring in diftrefs, frowned with ugly faces at them (whereas they ought to have fmiled, in order to make their hearts cheerful,) and kept them off at a great diftance, with their hats in hand, as if they were black people. But fuch conduct, always a fure token of cowardice, teftified with convincing clearnefs, they were unable to act the part of even an honeft black man. The Indians imagine the corruption is become too general to be curecl, with out a thorough change of our laws of war, ,becaufe when the head is fick, the feet cannot be well : and as our capital towns and regular troops are much infected with that deprefling and mameful malady, they rec kon our country places fuffer much more by our fat fine men. They fail not to flourim away as much in their own favour, as againft us,
K k k faying,
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